A Vanpool is an organized Ride-Sharing arrangement made between a group of 7-15 commuters who choose to ride to and from work in a passenger van. Vanpooling is an important and economical option for individuals commuting long distances. Vanpools are generally considered to be an element of the overall public transit system. They allow groups of people to share the rides to and from work, similar to a carpool, but in a more formal setting with concurrent savings in fuel and vehicle operating cost.

Vanpooling provides an opportunity to save commuters money and diminish the external costs of an automobile‐dominated transportation system. Vanpooling’s effectiveness in urban and suburban areas has been established, but its success in rural areas is less well researched. Furthermore, employer support is important to the success of vanpooling, but few studies have shown how agencies and nonprofits can encourage that support.

Background

If current air quality measurement trends continue the Wichita metropolitan area will be out of compliance with national air quality standards in the next few years. This triggers statutory actions by the federal and local units of governments. To demonstrate the area’s commitment to coming into compliance . . . read the full report.

Functional Road Classification is defined by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as “the process by which streets and highways are grouped into classes, or systems, according to the character of service they are intended to provide. Basic to this process is the recognition that individual roads and streets do not serve travel independently in any major way. Rather, most travel involves movement through a network of roads.” Functional classification is used extensively by WAMPO, FHWA and Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

Any jurisdiction or planning partners in the WAMPO region can request changes to roads in the network at this time. In addition, WAMPO staff may be in contact with jurisdictions or planning partners to discuss technical changes to the system in their region. The window for changes for the 2015 year is now closed.

To view the current functional classification, please look at the Federal Road Classification Map for the WAMPO region.​​

The value of our metropolitan area’s shared transportation system is nearly $10.9 billion dollars. Yes, billion. Making that system the best it can be through strategic investment is at the core of MOVE 2040’s mission.